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Post by bullet on Dec 14, 2008 15:40:19 GMT -5
Well, Herbie and Mocha (Used to be Talon) have been introduced to the boys after our 2 week wait and everyone is doing quite well. Now, I feed in the cage when raw feeding and feed mice in the tub. Mice is not my problem though. The thing I was wondering about is how much meat should be put in and how many times a day I should feed. It was a bit easier when I only had two. Here is an example of what I did last night at dinner (I am currently feeding twice a day) I gave 6 pieces of cornish game hen, 2 wings, two legs, and 2 more small pieces of breast. Everyone ate until they were full and then lazily went to sleep lol. Now Mocha was skinny when I got her, she is starting to gain weight and everyones poops seem fine so I'm hoping this is ok.
Another question I had was a friend was saying she feeds her ferrets raw as well but gives their food semi frozen so that it can be out longer because otherwise her ferrets throw a tantrum over her taking the food away even if they were done eating....is this safe?
Last Question: My two big boys, Herbie and Marshall will hiss and make noises at each other over their food, even if it is the same thing. They want each others...not their own...no one actually fights....they just hiss and yell at each other.
Thanks for reading!
OOOPS I forgot one other thing.....what do you do to keep fuzzies from stashing food in the litter boxes? OI!
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Post by animalsgetrevenge on Dec 14, 2008 16:41:11 GMT -5
It sounds to me like you are doing the right thing. Mine eat twice a day. After they have eaten their fill of a meal and go to sleep, I make sure they have enough food for later.
As for frozen food, I think (but I'm not sure) that frozen food is harder to digest for animals. I have done this before with my ferrets when I was feeding ground raw in the summer when I was going to be away from home for about 12 hours, but in the summer food spoils faster in a warm house. I think it is probably unnecessary in the winter time.
Squabbles over food is completely normal. For my four ferrets, the most dominant ferret usually wins and the loser will go find another piece of meat. So far we have had no serious fights or injures. If this was to happen, I would separate them during feeding time, but I have never heard of ferrets getting vicious over food.
Mine used to ALWAYS stash in their litter box, until I gave them a feeding den in their cage. I took a small cardboard box (the kind with a fancy six pack of bottled beer comes in, thanks dad!) cut a few small openings in it, and placed it in their cage. Usually 2 ferrets eat in their at a time, and Pepina, the baby, likes to sleep in there. I rarely find meat in their litter box anymore. I toss and replace the box once a week since it meat juice gets in there.
I hope this helps!
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Post by spiritualtramp on Dec 14, 2008 18:53:40 GMT -5
Mine hiss and squeal when eating but I think they're hissing at the food more than at each other! They've never fought in the slightest over food and I catch Diesel and Pilot especially hissing at their food even when no one else is around...
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Post by suds on Dec 14, 2008 23:01:43 GMT -5
I feed 2xs a day aswell In the morning befor work and again in the evening as far as how much it depnds on your guys I will put out about 4 ounces per ferret if ther is alot left over I will cut back a little if all is gone and they act like they are starving I will add more the next feeding each day it always changes some days they will eat more then others so its always a adjustment.
I agree with animalsgetrevenge about the feeding dens they work great for me I use the 12 pack soda boxes alot of others use remote dens with plastic bins .
the hissing is normal and its a good thing shows they are excited about the food and its sometthing worth fighting for its also good enrichment
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Post by Heather on Dec 15, 2008 0:07:14 GMT -5
My guys have food available to them 24/7. I sometimes feed the food frozen, but that is usually meant to allow them to eat their food throughout the day if I'm not at home. I've also set a bowl inside a bowl filled with water, frozen it and then added their food to the second bowl. During the summer they like 'ratcicles' as they're cold and they're fun to play with and stash (they're also fun to roll down the ferret tunnel leading outside to the ferret playpen). Frozen they stay fresh longer, and I find they don't get stashed in the litter box as often  I hate it when they feel the food needs to be breaded   Just a small point to make, not that ferrets are wild nor have they been in a long time but the litter box thing is an instinct thing. If they were wild they would pee and sometimes even poop on their prey stash to make it unusable to other animals, even to mark it for others of their own kind. Weasels and minks do this on occasion and wolverines always do this, just an idea about the food in the litter box thing  as gross as that is Hissing, screaming...and general mayhem when the choice treats are offered, totally normal (at least in this household). I've seen quite a bit of the squabbling over choice pieces especially giblets but it hadn't prepared me for the petty bickering and downright skulduggery that went on after I held a mice slaughter at the bachelor pad. My first batch of males mice came of age and were invited for dinner. There was just enough for a mouse per ferret but the squabbling that went on was wild but very much within the realms of children squabbling over a choice chocolate ...in other words very very normal  ciao |
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